Daily Republican., 1887-09-20

discovered some fve or SIX thousand
BRUSH soldiers passing mp the road
oack OF the present village Of Psrkers.
vile going In the direction of Jeferis'
Forc, sotue eish. miles Above. A
council OF war was hastily held BIZ
Wsshington, LsfAye et,e, Green, Max.
we'll, Wayne and Sullivan, ct which IL
was determined TO cross the creek and
overpower Kayphs usen's army before
Howe and his army creased above and
came down the east side Of the Brandy
wine.
But be'ore his plans were carried into
execution Washington was surprised
BY Captain Cheney, one of his scouts,
coming hging into camp about 2 p. N.
with the report that Howe and his
army had already crossed At Jefferis'
Ford, and were now marching at q
rapid gait down the ealt side Of the
Brandywine towards Birmingham
meeting house Then Washington
fally realized the straits ho WAS In.
Howe's ruse was fully developed, aud
It was seen. that nothing but nard.
fcught battle could save tho Americans
from defeat. The contemplated attack
upon knyphausen had to be abandoned ,
aud part OF the army had to be left tO
guard against his attack in the rear,
while the main bod OF the Americans
had TO bs hastened up thu Brand wine
to meet the enemy rapidly coming
down the creek. -
Sullivan's division being the farthes:
up the creek was hasteaed forward
Generals Sterling and Stephens were
the fret TO reach Birmtngham meetir z
house. bat no sooner did they reach 1t
than the British.
The peaceful meeting house, where
the gospel Of peace had been preached,
was soon TO be the hospital OF the
wounded o; both armies. The teach.
ines OF Fox snd Penn were soon to be
forgotten in the Infatuated strife. Sach
IS the sad sequel OF war. 5terling's 3 aud
StepheEs' men, in trying to get on
higher Broand near the mseiing house,
were 80 near the British that they could
not form in regular order, but hastily
got back Of the graveyard wall aud the
battle commenced with the most vim
dictlve fury befo.s tho forces of Wash-
iD2ton. Green and Lay fayette cans . up.
The roads traversed bv these Generals
are changed now. Washington took
the Sandy Hollow road after reaching
1t by crossing wood and heid but 10
hnd the forces OF Sullivan on the re-
treat. Lafayette being wounded was
left behind. Green's iorces took ths
road Above the Lafayette place, up by
Elias Bakers, and to the Concord road
Fighting continued from Birmin CHAM
meeting house 10 Painters Croes Roads
or B,andywine Summis until night
ended the conflict, and General Howe
took g orge Gilpin's house, now Elias
Baker's, for his headquarters. The floor
OF Birmingham meeting house that
night was pool Of blood, and in the
quiet graveyard, where the battle ragged
the fiercest, the ground was covered
with the red coated Briton, the impul.
sivs Hesslan, and liberty loving Amsri
can. lying side by side more peaceful
now that the strife had csased, and In
1t their lives were the yacrl6ces.
That night was night Of bsrror. The
Hessians scoured the country over, and
stole all they could carry away and de
stroyed what they could not carry
Eysn tho wounded soldiers did not es
cape their robbsrie9. A w1unded sol
dler, seeing q Hessiau wcfnan rtfiinp
w0uaded soldiers and knocking therr
on the head, thought bis turn had come
but determined to sell his life as dearly
as possible. Seeing gun lying within
his reach, he seized 1t, and finding 4
loaded he took aim and shot the muir
dtItss dead. He reported what he hat
done to the Americans who came in The
morning to hunt ont ths woun1ed and
bury the dead. Tho Americans cleared
the field OF all the dead and wounded
but left the woman for the buzz ards
This was but one Instance that showed
the virdictiveness Of the Americans
aSairs st the hired rsbble lot loose to rot
Gnd Kill at pleasure. These Hessiar
women went into hous;s and actually
stripped the clothes from American
women and girls, and victuals had It
be buried to keep thtm from thtil
clutches. Beds were rippad opsn. the
con tents scattered to the Winds and tht
ticks carried away.
Caleb Bzinton. a wealthy farmer, liv
ing justsncIth OF Chadd's Ford, had
bseu saving up q number OF barrels o.
cider for vinegar, but 1t AL found itl
way into the canteens and mugs Of the
guzzling Hesaians. They also stole
some two thousand pouDos OF cheese
and his live stock they slaughtered Oh
clothes, looking glasses, china ware, II
fact every thing they could lay theil
hands upon was carried away or de-
stroy ed, and what was done to Calet
was done to all the people In the neigh
borhoot. Even many people In Will
mington, who had sent many Of theil
valusblts up 10 Chester County for q
place of safety, ouly made rica provi
sions for the thievinR Hseslans. Some
merchants of Wilmington sent somt
silks aud imported wines to James JET
'eris for ss'e keeping, but they fell ricl
booty to the forces Of Howe and Corn
Wallis, Ss they forded the Brandywine
at that place.
Sarah Darlington, grandmother Of A.
S. Bripton, OF wiImtngtOn, Kept house
for her uncle, Abram Darlington, who
owned the propsity now belonging to
Clement Biddle A wounded soldier
was brou ahs to the house to have his
wounds bsndaasd. A corporal stood BY
threatening to run hi9 bayonet through
her II che stuck him with o need le.
Sarah at the time was young lady ,snd
expected SON to be marrie1. She had
her silk dress prepared, but had to put
up with seeing 1t cut up by the soldiers
into handksrchieis
Grandmother Darlington said there
were two pigs running ABOUT the yard,
and Hesstsu soldier set Ing them got q
pair Of pot hooks, and hooking pig by
the throat to each end threw 1t across
his horse and rede away with the pigs
tQueslibg.
As hss been already stated, General
Smailwood was posted at Gurdop's Ford
on the u, ,orning of tho battle. Alter the
m oct OF the army had been ordered up
the creek to Birmingham and 1t was
found that Knyphsusen was crossing
the creek, 5msllwood wss also ordered
In that direction. but his little force
was SO under the fire of both the cannon